Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Sea Isle City Summer Renters FAQ's


Top 10 Questions Sea Isle City Renters Ask 

Renters call with many questions about Sea Isle City and the properties they are interested in. From amenities to location, many of the questions will help them with decisions on what property to rent and what to bring along for their vacation.

One question that many renters ask is the location of their property in comparison to the streets that have lifeguards. This is a very important question for those who have children and do not want to find themselves far from lifeguards once they reach the beach access. Most beaches have lifeguards every three to four blocks, which makes the walk a maximum of two blocks either way. Just remember, the lowest and highest street numbers do not have lifeguards on duty. Check with your agent for the closest lifeguard location.


Over the past few years, more and more renters want to know if the property they are vacationing at offers wireless Internet service. Even though this service does not have to be free to the renters, they want to be able to access the Internet. A small percentage of owners have the wireless Internet service available at no charge to tenants. Some areas in Sea Isle have hot spots where access is available. At many agencies, customers have the option of coming into the office to check their E-mails and have access to the Internet.

Renters want to know what small appliances, cooking utensils; dishes, etc. are available in the unit they are renting. This question is next to impossible to answer for several reasons. If we tell a renter that the property has a blender, and the blender breaks before the renters arrive, our customer is now upset with us. The owner refuses to come down and replace the blender, and there is an unsatisfied customer. I tell the owners to make sure there are more than enough dishes, glasses, and utensils than the occupancy notes. This allows for breakage, and lost or stolen items. Every owner stocks their units in different ways. I tell my tenants that if they are planning on cooking anything but basic meals while down at the shore, they should bring the proper cooking equipment.

Every renter hopes that there are beach tags available for their use while staying in Sea Isle. Our agency does not list whether or not there are tags available. The reason for this is that the owner may leave several tags at the beginning of the season, but through the course of the season, some or all the tags go home with the renters on bathing suits or towels. If our tenant arrives at a property that they were told tags are supplied, and they are not there, it now becomes our problem to find them tags to use for the week. If we call the owners, the normal response is that they left tags and they are not replacing them. This to can make for unhappy tenants, so we therefore tell our tenants not to expect tags, but if they are there, it is a bonus.

Bedding is a common question tenants want to know about. Even though our site list the number of bedrooms, and what kind of beds are in each, many tenants want to know the location of each room with what beds. This is common for tenants who have young children and want to confirm the bedroom with the bunk or twin beds are next to the master bedroom. Although we list the beds on the amenities, we cannot guarantee this to be 100 percent accurate because the owner can change this at any time.

Renters want to know the parking situation at the potential property they will be living for a week. They may be having visitors, or members staying may be coming from different locations and there may be more than one or two cars. Most two-bedroom condominiums offer only one or a maximum of two parking spaces, which are designated. Larger townhouses or condo’s, especially the newer construction offer three, four, five or some even six parking spaces including the garage. Parking is Sea Isle City is a premium, and the mores spaces that are available per unit, the better.

Often, tenants want to know if the other side of the townhouse or condo is occupied by a group rental, or an owner. This question has a motive depending on who is asking the question. Obviously, a group rental would like to see another group rental near them so they can enjoy the summer on the same level. A family with small children would like the owner or another family staying next to them. No one can answer this question unless the property only rents for the season, at which time it is safe to tell them it is a group rental, (unless the owners specifically only rent to families, which is not likely).

Cleanliness is extremely important to many tenants. This could be the highest priority of many renters. Although almost 85% of all rental properties are cleaned by a cleaning service, some properties seem cleaner than others. The degree of the cleanliness depends on the owners. Some owners have their carpets and upholstery professionally cleaned each season, (and they should), while others allow their property to go several years before this is addressed. Each unit should have a thorough cleaning before the season starts along with a cleaning and inspection after each turn over. Some hire professionals, while other owners will come down and inspect and clean the property themselves. Owners cleaning themselves sometimes do a better job than the paid cleaners. I do not agree with the owners who depend on the tenants to leave the property as they found it. This may work for a week or two, but as the season progresses, the property gets dirtier and dirtier because the tenants realize it was not that clean when they arrived.

A question that is often asked and can sometimes work and sometimes not is if the owner will negotiate the price on the property.The answer to the question is: It depends on the owner and how far into the season we are. If it is three days before the rental period, there is a good chance the owner will negotiate as long as they don’t plan on using the property that week for either themselves or their family or friends. The only way to get an answer to the question is to call the owner. Many agents do not want to be bothered with this game of negotiating, but as long as the offer is within reason, I will call the owner and ask. The worse they can do is say no. I think by doing so, I’m working the best I can for the renter, the owner, and the agency.

Along the same line as above, a question many tenants ask is whether it is better to book their property early in the season, or to wait until the last minute to see if there are any good deals. I always encourage booking early because you have the best properties available for the best value. Everyone wants the perfect property for the perfect price, and those who book early get the best deals and guarantee themselves a property that they chose because it has what they want, and at a price that is fair. For those who wait until the last minute, they may or may not find something they want, and the property was obviously overpriced compared to the others or it would have already been booked. So you may save a few hundred dollars, if you can find something you want, but it should have been priced lower in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, some tenants get lucky and find a good property and the owner will lower the price to where it is a great deal. But the odds are that you will spend a lot of time and effort to either not be able to find something you are satisfied with, or you find a property that should have been priced lower than what you end up paying.
Questions are always being asked by renters and there is never any answer that fits every situation. A good agent is willing to get an answer to the customer’s satisfaction.

If you have any questions about your Sea Isle City vacation, please don't hesitate to ask by contacting me at 609-263-3400 or jws@Landisco.com

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